7 Tips to Help You Sell Your Utah Home Fast & For Top Dollar

Your goal as you prepare your home for selling is to help your buyer envision themselves in the space. So think like a hotel: make your spaces neutral, inviting, and un-personalized. That means packing away family photos and any items or artwork that might be loud or distracting. The goal should be to provide a blank canvas for buyers to imagine themselves living there and calling it their own.

Curb appeal isn’t just a cliché, it’s a vital asset that can make a passerby stop and take notice! So take the time to back away and view your home critically from a distance. Make sure that there isn’t any visible damage to the house itself and that the yard is well-manicured and welcoming. If the shrubbery is overgrown or hiding your home, you may want to cut it back or remove it. Also, be sure to stash away any children’s toys, flags, or lawn furniture unless they enhance the vision you are creating. Other great tips to boost your curb appeal are adding some flowering potted plants, repainting the front door to an eye-catching color, installing a new garage door, or updating the mailbox.

If your home boasts bold colors and bright wallpaper, this is the time to think about toning down the mood with a coat of fresh paint. Dark colors can make a room feel smaller than it is and although wallpaper has been trending lately, it’s still a polarizing choice that could be a turn-off. Transform your home into a blank canvas for potential buyers by choosing pleasing neutral tones like greys, taupes, and shades of white and cream. You’ll be creating a clean backdrop for home shoppers that will have them ready to start bidding!

You want your home to be airy and spacious, not cluttered and crowded; so it’s time to declutter! When you cut back on the “stuff” your buyer will see the lovely spaces it was hiding. Renting a storage space could be the simplest way to cut back without making permanent decisions on what has to go. Take special note of crowded corners, flat surfaces that tend to be clutter-magnets, and even drawers and closets. (Remember, a buyer wants to see the bones of the house, so no area is really off-limits). Even excess furniture can appear to shrink the size of your rooms, so be ruthless. Make sure you’re offering shoppers a real opportunity to view the space. When it comes to selling your home, less is almost always more.

This is the time to really zoom in on the details while making your own careful inspection. Try every faucet and doorknob to make sure nothing is loose or leaking. Check light switches and electric outlets to ensure that they’re clean and not broken. Squeaky doors can easily be oiled and running toilets can be repaired to calm any concerns about the plumbing. Make sure you touch up any flaws in the paint or ceilings so everything looks polished and fresh. These might be small steps, but you can trust they’ll be making a big impact on your potential buyer's first impression.

An expert home stager can recommend what to keep in each space and what to pack away first. They can even help rearrange your belongings in a way that is magazine worthy. Because stagers understand the real estate market and are on top of the latest trends, they can work with you to help you show off your home's best side. As a seller's agent, I've seen the impact staging can make on sales price as well as time on the market.  Homes that are staged for photos sell faster and often they are sold at asking price (or more). Because of this, I include photo prep/staging and professional photography to my clients at no extra cost.

It’s impossible to over-clean your home so get ready to get very busy or hire an expert to take care of the cleaning for you. Make sure you are taking care of all the basics like vacuuming and dusting, plus any deep cleaning that may have been neglected. Look closely at areas such as baseboards. light switches, door handles, and trim. While you are cleaning, notice any “odor issues” and take care of them. Avoid harsh perfumes and instead use homey, crowd-pleasing scents such as lavender, citrus or light vanilla. This is something you'll want to stay on top of because you never know when a buyer may want to see your home with little notice.